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If you have leaking taps in your home or office there are steps that you can follow to try to repair that annoying dripping tap yourself, if you feel comfortable enough in doing so. A leaking tap can be extremely annoying not to mention a huge water waster.
In many cases the cause of a leaking tap is from a worn out washer, O-ring or jumper valve. At Right Now Plumbing we do recommend you replace all items at the same time as eventually they will all become worn out.
Firstly you need to determine which type of washer your tap requires – rubber, ceramic disc or cartridge. You can pick up all of the required items at your local hardware store. It is always a good idea to take the items from your tap with you, or even a photo of your tap, to ensure that you purchase the correct parts. Make sure you also have a spare rag, wrench, screwdriver and waterproof lubricant.
Now You’re Ready To Begin To Fix A Leaking Tap!
Step 1: Turn your water off at the mains tap.
Step 2: To fix a leaking tap turn the tap on to enable any excess water currently sitting inside the pipe to be released. Turn the tap back off when the water has stopped running. Now insert a plug into the basin.
Step 3: Remove the tap handle. If your tap is protected by a metal cover you can unscrew this by hand or place the spare rag over the metal and use the wrench (this will stop any scratching or damage to the metal).
Step 4: Use your wrench to unscrew the tap bonnet.
Step 5: Now the headgear should be showing – remove this and you should then be able to see the washer, O-ring and jumper valve. The jumper valve may just fall out on its own (that’s ok!)
Step 6: Remove the washer, O-ring and jumper valve and replace with your newly purchased parts of the same kind. Apply the waterproof lubricant to the O-ring, spindle and bonnet.
Step 7: Re-fit the bonnet and spindle, be careful not to tighten the nuts excessively.
Step 8: Follow the steps used to undo your tap but in reverse to put your tap back together – again don’t over tighten your taps – this will cause the washer to wear out quicker.
Step 9: Turn the water back on at the mains and your tap should be drip free once more! If there still seems to be a leak then tap re-seating may be required. A re-seating kit can also be purchased from your local hardware store.
If you don’t have the time, patience or confident to fix a leaking tap yourself then call the Adelaide plumbers from Right Now Plumbing for a prompt and reliable tap repair or replacement service. No call-out fees and 15% off labour when you book your Adelaide plumber online!